COVID-19: Your Request Is Senseless, Irresponsible – China Blasts Oby Ezekwesili

The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has in a recent statement stated that it was unfortunate that the global pandemic, Coronavirus emanated from Wuhan in China, noting that the country was just a victim of the COVID-19 which its described as a common enemy to mankind.

The country, however, urged the international community to avoid the blame game and consider pulling hands together to fight the pandemic.

Former vice president for the World Bank’s Africa Region, Oby Ezekwesili, was however condemned in the statement delivered and signed by the Sun Saixiong, Press Secretary for the Embassy, for demanding compensation from China over the Coronavirus pandemic.

Saixiong noted that China has been open, transparent and responsible since the outbreak of the dreadful virus, noting it was not a perpetrator or an accomplice of the pandemic.

Naija News understands that SaiXiong was reacting to an earlier statement by Ezekwesili which demands that China should compensate Africa nations for damages caused by the killer virus.

Her statement reads, “China must pay for failing to manage COVID-19, which had severely injured Africa’s development prospects and worsened the conditions of the poor,” as reported on The Washington Post.

Ezekwesili pointed out that the best solution to ease the pains caused by the pandemic was for China to accord damages and liability compensation to Africa.

According to her, China has failed to act responsibly to the dreadful virus which has claimed thousands of lives, and hence Africa must not be made to suffer more for their act.

Saixiong, however, in his statement berated Ezekwesili’s claims, asking her if anyone has ever challenged the United States or asked them to offer compensations for the 2009 H1N1 flu.

The Chinese Embassy, however, charged Ezekwesili to respect facts, science, and international consensus and stop fooling around with blame games.

Part of the statement reads: “Did anyone ask the US to offer compensation for the 2009 H1N1 flu, which was first diagnosed before breaking out on a large scale in the US and then spread to 214 countries and regions, killing nearly 200,000 people? AIDS was first reported in the US in the 1980s and then swept across the world, including Africa, causing untold sufferings to countless victims.

“China has taken the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough measures to contain its spread and conduct international cooperation. In this process, China has made tremendous sacrifices, accumulated valuable experience, and made significant contributions to the global response. The international community bears witness to and applauds China’s efforts and progress,”

“We must understand that our enemy is the virus, not China. The international community can only defeat the virus by pulling together. Attacking and discrediting others will not save time and lives lost.”

Meanwhile, African’s Union Special envoy for the fight against COVID-19, Dr Okonjo-Iweala has warned President Muhammdu Buhari of a second economic recession in his tenure.